Anode active material for lithium-ion battery and method for making the same, and lithium-ion battery using the same

Abstract

An anode active material for lithium-ion battery is provided. The anode active material includes a composite material comprising a binary or multi-element metal alloy and a conductive material. The binary or multi-element metal alloy is granular, a particle size of a binary or multi-element metal alloy particle is in micron-sized, and the binary or multi-element metal alloy has lattice reversibility. The conductive material is coated on a surface of a binary or multi-element metal alloy particle. The binary or multi-element metal alloy particle is completely wrapped by the conductive material. A method of making the anode active material is also provided. A lithium-ion battery using the anode active material is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anode active material for lithium-ion battery, comprising:
 a composite material, wherein the composite material comprises:
 a plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, wherein the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles are in micron-size, and the binary or multi-element metal alloy has a lattice reversibility; and 
 a conductive material coated on surfaces of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, wherein each of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles is completely wrapped by the conductive material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The anode active material of  claim 1 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy comprises at least two metal elements among Zn, Al, Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Sb, Bi, Ag, Au, Mg, and Ca. 
     
     
         3 . The anode active material of  claim 1 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy has a crystal structure with a reversibility of lithium-ion deintercalation. 
     
     
         4 . The anode active material of  claim 3 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy has a zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         5 . The anode active material of  claim 4 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy is an indium antimonide (InSb) alloy with the zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         6 . The anode active material of  claim 1 , wherein the particle sizes of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles are in a range from 1 micrometer to 10 micrometers. 
     
     
         7 . The anode active material of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the conductive material layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 50 nanometers. 
     
     
         8 . The anode active material of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is a carbon material or a conductive polymer. 
     
     
         9 . A method for making an anode active material for lithium-ion battery comprising:
 step S1, providing an initial binary or multi-element metal alloy, ball milling the initial binary or multi-element metal alloy to obtain a plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, and a particle size of each of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles is in micron-sized; and   step S2, coating a conductive material on surfaces of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, and each of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles is completely wrapped by the conductive material.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles have a lattice reversibility. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles has a zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles are indium antimonide (InSb) alloy with the zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conductive material is coated on the InSb by a liquid coating method using a sucrose solution comprising:
 mixing the InSb and sucrose in a mass ratio of 1:1 to 1:3 to obtain a mixture;   adding deionized water into the mixture and performing ultrasonic treatment to form a dispersion;   drying all moisture of the dispersion at 80-100° C., to obtain a InSb precursor coated with sucrose; and   heating the InSb precursor to 400-500° C. under argon atmosphere and keeping for 2-3 h, to obtain InSb@C powder.   
     
     
         14 . A lithium-ion battery comprising:
 an anode comprising an anode active material layer and a current collector, wherein the anode active material layer is supported by the current collector, and the anode active material layer comprises a composite material comprising:
 a plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, wherein the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles are in micron-size, and the binary or multi-element metal alloy has a lattice reversibility; and 
 a conductive material coated on surfaces of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles, wherein each of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles is completely wrapped by the conductive material; and 
   a cathode;   an electrolyte;   a separator located between the anode and the cathode; and   an external packaging structure encapsulating the anode, the cathode, the electrolyte, and the separator.   
     
     
         15 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy is a crystal structure with a reversibility of lithium-ion deintercalation. 
     
     
         16 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 15 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy is a zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         17 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 16 , wherein the binary or multi-element metal alloy is an indium antimonide (InSb) alloy with the zinc blende crystal structure. 
     
     
         18 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein the particle sizes of the plurality of binary or multi-element metal alloy particles are in a range from 1 micrometer to 10 micrometers. 
     
     
         19 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein a thickness of the conductive material layer ranges from 10 nanometers to 50 nanometers. 
     
     
         20 . The lithium-ion battery of  claim 14 , wherein a material of each of the external packaging structure, the anode, the cathode, and the separator is a flexible material, and the lithium-ion battery is a flexible structure.